Alone in Japan
by Kaggami-chan
Summary: A seven years old is send to Japan, for the first time, all alone. Armed with an address and money, will he reach his goal? AU With the special appearence of Mouri Eri and Mouri Kogoro XD For Poirot Cafe competition # 7. No longer a one shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Desclaimer: I don´t own Detective Conan**

**A/N: For the 7th competition of Poirot Cafe. Theme was Alone, and I really wanted to write something... This is AU, so everything we know happened in Shinichi´s childhood never actually happened. Meaning: he did not grow up in Japan, Ran was not his childhood friend. Special appearance of Eri and Kogoro who are still married XD Hope you like it. **

* * *

Kudo Yukiko was known for her extravagant tendencies. Her husband, Kudo Yusaku, while more down to earth, also wasn´t exactly normal either. It didn´t wasn´t exactly a secret, not that it would be easy to hide, with their quirks, but most hopped they would calm down after the birth of their baby boy. The Kudo family had been wishing for a baby since they married, and when finally the little miracle was born, others hopped the couple would finally settle into the role of a normal couple.

For one year, Yukiko played her role as a busy house-wife perfectly. She stopped attending the parties, going out with her friends whenever she wanted, and gave it all to take care of her baby. Shinichi, the name they gave to the boy, grew quickly under the loved eye of his parents, but after a while, it wasn´t enough for Yukiko. Indeed, she loved her family, and it was fun to be a normal house-wife… but something was missing. She wanted an adventure, something exciting to happen. Those closer to her could clearly see it.

Therefore, when the Kudo´s suddenly moved to America, ditching everyone behind, especially the editors, no one was surprised. Some even though it was a miracle the couple managed to live normally for a year.

It was six years later, when the little Shinichi was already seven years old, that the friends wondered if maybe the couple was crazier than they had thought.

It was a winter day when Mouri Kogoro received a call from Yukiko. It had been the first in a year, and he knew his wife would be excited. "How are you doing, Yukiko?" Asked the police detective, taking a look at his room to make sure he forgot nothing. It was only morning, and he had a morning shift at the police station that day. "Eri was wondering when you were going to call."

"I´m great, Kogoro. Hope everything is well there too." The former actress´ voice was so excited the man almost dropped the phone. It never ended well for anyone when Yukiko was this excited. "I miss you two a lot. Things have been great here, Yusaku´s editors have no idea we run to…"

"Is it Yukiko?" Mouri Eri asked as she entered the room and took in the extremely worried and slightly happy expression her dear husband had. There was only one person on the world who managed to extract it from him, and that was none other than her childhood friend and enemy.

Without waiting, Kogoro quickly gave Eri the phone, making his way to the kitchen. He was already slightly late, and he knew that actress would never shut up if given the chance. "Hello, Yukiko? This is Eri. Kogoro had to go to work. How are you? Why haven´t you called earlier?"

"Eri!" Grinning at the excited tone of her friend, Eri sat on the bed, relaxing slightly. "Oh, I miss you so much! I have so much to tell you! This last year, Yusaku´s editors were growing rather relaxed, so we decided to travel the world. We stayed about two weeks in the same place, and I especially liked Paris. I´m planning to return there for our anniversary. Russia was rather cold and some of them were rude. Never planning to return there… Oh, and I am planning to take a small role in Portugal, just making an appearance. The filming will only take one week, and since we are already on our way there…"

Blinking quickly as she tried to take everything in, Ran stumbled into the room and climbed on top of their bed, snuggling on the spot Kogoro used to sleep. Her little girl started doing it since her husband had been promoted, and they were unable to chance this strange habit, not that they had tried, thinking it was too adorable.

Wait, wasn´t Shinichi the same age as Ran? Just seven years old… and they were dragging him around? "That is all good, Yukiko, but what about Shinichi? You are not leaving him all alone, are you?"

"Shin-chan? Oh, no, no, we take him with us, at least most of times. Ah! I almost forgot, it was so long we talked to each other… Anyway, can you go pick up Shin-chan at the airport at ten? We couldn´t take him with us this time and his usual nanny cannot look after him, so we asked Hakase."

"Pick him up? Aren´t you with him? If you are worried about the price of taxis, I assure you it´s nothing compared to those in New York." A dreadful feeling was slowly settling in Eri´s stomach. Surely her friend wasn´t that negligent to allow the boy to travel alone, right? "We could meet up for a coffee while you are still here."

"I´m sorry, Eri, but I am on the place to Lisbon. Shin-chan is traveling with one of Yusaku´s assistants, but only until Japan." Well, at least he wasn´t alone… "Since Yusaku will be busy writing, and I have the shootings, we decided to send him away. This way well also have some time for ourselves…"

"God, Yukiko, what were you thinking?" Eri suddenly interrupted, wishing her friend was in front of her so she could shake her. "Shinichi is your child and you ´just´ sent him away? He is not a piece of wood! What is something happens to him? He is just seven!"

"We asked him and he said he was sick of traveling! This is not the first time he travels with the assistant, everything will be alright." Next time the damn woman was visiting, she was going to have a long conversation about responsibility. "Anyway, can you pick him up? He arrived at 10."

10? It was already quarter to ten! "Yukiko, you are an idiot! It´s almost ten already here!" Whoever was the idiot who thought it was a good idea for those two to have children clearly wasn´t thinking straight.

"Almost ten? Oh, I forgot the time difference… It doesn´t matter, everything will be alright."

Ignoring the urge to scream at her completely mad friend, Eri just ended the call, taking a deep breathe. "Kogoro, are still here?" It didn´t matter, she had no time to lose. There was a small five year old who waiting for her. Yukiko remembered to tell him someone was going to get him, right?

* * *

It wasn´t the first time little Shinichi took a plane. Actually, in the last three years it became the number one public transportation he used every time. Being only seven, he knew it was rather strange, but considering who his parents were… It took no genius to realize that there was something wrong with his parents. When it was time to retrieve him from school, they never came, unlike others´ parents did. It was always his father´s assistant or an editor. Other parents didn´t think it was amusing when he solved a crime, nor did they believe it was appropriate for a child his age to read detective novels. True, he couldn´t read it properly, and had to use a dictionary, but at least he tried… Oh, not to mention his parents strange hobbies.

The first time they had packed clothes and had disappeared for a week, leaving Shinichi alone with his nanny when he was three; he had had cried every day, wondering why they left him behind. However, as it happened more and more often, he quickly stopped paying attention to it. They always came back, with a toy or book, and continued living as if nothing strange happened. The little boy learned to live with it.

When they started to take him with them, he also learned to accept it and move on, even though he realized after the first two times that he preferred being left behind. He was probably the only four year old that had done bungee-jumping with his parents… Shuddering at the memory, blue eyes stared out of the window, wondering when they would finally land.

"Is something wrong, Shinichi?" The lady who always travelled with him asked with a smile, already used to taking care of the boy. Unlike his parents, Kudo Shinichi was a calm and respectful child that required little attention. He disliked video games, preferring to read a book or draw. He also seemed to have a knack for numbers, what amused her greatly, since his mother stayed as far away from math as possible unless it was for shopping.

"No. When do we arrive?" Smiling even more, Clarissa checked her watch, noticing only an hour was left. Clearly, it was hard for a child to spend ten hours sitting in a plane, especially for young boys, but as always, Shinichi behaved admirably. However, it made her slightly sad, since in her opinion, boys needed to be more energetic. Obviously he learned to stay quiet and go with the flow.

"Just an hour left. So you are staying with Hakase this time… you´ll love it, he always has so many experiments going on, and it will do you good to have a break from your parents…" He nodded but reminded quiet, and the assistant sighed, closing her eyes. The boy needed a permanent residence to live, no wonder he was so quiet, not having any chance to develop his social skills. With his parents traveling like crazy, he never had a chance to make a friend…

As Shinichi looked out of the window again, staring at the dark clouds, he wondered not for the last time why his parents were so crazy. He loved them, at least as much as a child could, but it didn´t change the fact he felt slightly… lonely. Dad had mom, and while they obviously loved him too, he always felt like the spare piece…

Ignoring his own thoughts, since he didn´t want to cry, he wasn´t three anymore, the little boy wondered where he would stay. He had talked with Hakase before and thought the older uncle was fun and interesting, but he still he felt a little… scared. What if Hakase was an evil man? He had heard about uncles that pretend to be nice, and then end up being evil criminals…

Shaking his head once again, the boy almost pouted. He was being silly; mom and dad never would leave him with an evil man. They was their friend, and obviously, he would take good care of him, as his babysitter did. It was a shame she couldn´t take him with her to her daughter´s wedding, but he was a grown up boy already, he could spend two weeks with uncle Agase, even if he didn´t know the man that well. He was no longer an insecure child. Well, he was still a child, he just wasn´t insecure…

Not to mention he was too old to have a babysitter. Then again, it´s not as if he could stay alone at that huge house his parents had…

Turning back to his latest book that was more age appropriate, the time quickly passed by, and before he knew it, the plane landed. "Finally…" Shinichi mumbled to himself, following his father´s assistant out of the plane. As usual, she had a plane to catch, not before making sure he crossed the security check.

"Now, Shinichi, I need to get going." She hated that she was leaving him so soon, but her plane was about to depart, and she needed to hurry up. "Remember to do what your father and mother told you, and don´t go with strangers. Be a good boy, alright." With one last hug, she departed, running as fast as she could to catch her plane.

Shinichi stood near the windows for a moment, considering what he should do next. Usually there was someone to pick him up and his parents warned him about it, but this time, his mother only gave him an address, emergency money and a kiss. Dad wasn´t home at the time he left for the airport, so the child truly was confused.

"Is someone picking me up or not?" He whispered, glancing around him. There were many people moving around, and he noticed many of those who traveled at the same plane as he were still waiting. Making the decision to wait for a bit, Shinichi sat down. Who knew, maybe mom had forgotten to warn him. It wasn´t the first time… Usually they called when he landed, but since they were in a plane, he did not expect a call.

Minutes went by, and before he knew it, he was the only person waiting. Hm… then no one was picking him up? Confused, the boy searched the place, feeling a little bit scared. This was the first time he was left all alone in a foreign country. True, Japan was where he was born, but he couldn´t remember living here, so it was like a completely different place to him.

"Maybe they want you to go alone?" The independent part of his brain supplied, and Shinichi considered it. Well, it surely would explain why he was given the address and money. The first thing his mother had thought him was to count money, so he had a good idea of how much he had on him. He could take the Taxi… but he wasn´t sure how far Beika was from his current location. Maybe he should buy a map? There was also the issue with his age… He knew seven-year-old children weren´t supposed to travel on their own. He could always lie and say he was ten years old but small. He had seen, after all, sixteen years old boys looking like ten… That was a plan. Either way it was better than wait for no one.

Jumping from his spot, Shinichi looked around, noticing everything was in Japanese. Dad had taught him some, but not enough to read well. Actually, he was ten times better at ready English, even if his accent was slightly off. Noticing there was a sign for the trains, he started to run towards it, ignoring the looks some people gave him. Yes, he would say he was ten… After all, no one in their right mind would allow a seven year old to be alone, would they?

The train station was easy to reach, English translations for foreign bellow the signs, and it made Shinichi relax just a little bit. Maybe it wouldn´t be that hard after all… Noticing a map, he hurried towards it, searching for Beika. First, he would arrive at the city, and then he would worry about the specific address. If everything else failed, he would go to the police station, though he preferred to avoid it, knowing it would look bad on his parents.

Memorizing the path he needed to take, thankful there was only one time he needed to change the line, the boy ran towards the machines to buy a ticket. This was a strange experience; he had to admit, but fun. At least he had enough money… it would be horrible if he was broke.

"Good afternoon." Someone stated from behind, and Shinichi jumped, spinning around with his eyes wide. A nice lady was looking at him with a smile. "Are you lost boy? Want me to help you find your mother?" She looked nice enough, but he remembered his parents' words, knowing appetence wasn´t everything.

"Thank you, but I am not lost." Grinning slightly, he took his ticket, making sure to hide his destination. "My train is about to arrive, so I should be going…" Number one rule in any bad situation, according to his mother, was to appear confident. This way people couldn´t take advantage of you. "See you."

Running away before she had a chance to ask him anything, Shinichi wondered for the first time if maybe he should have just waited… or at least called his parents. However, he wasn´t a child anymore. Hadn´t he taken the train alone a few times at home? And if he was old enough to go one the plane without his parents…

Shacking any doubt, he joined the others on the train, grabbing a seat as he settled for a long ride.

* * *

Eri was panicking. She had arrived late, it had taken a while to convince Kogoro to take her, since he refused to listen until she yelled at him, explaining Shinichi was all alone, and now as she looked for him, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh god." The woman mumbled, hurrying to the bathroom, hopping he was there. This was exactly why she thought Yukiko was crazy! The boy was only seven! Anything could happen. He could be kidnapped, hurt, get lost… "Did you find him?" She asked her husband, but taking in account the look of panic, she didn´t need it. "What are we going to do now? Oh, I am going to kill Yukiko!"

"The guards maybe know something." Kogoro stated, trying to calm himself down. It would do no good if both of them panicked, and obviously, Eri was already doing it. "It´s not every day a small child travels by himself. Someone must have seen him."

Rushing towards one of the guards, Kogoro took lead, hopping his detective badge could help in any form. No way on earth were they allowed the little boy to wander alone, even if he was Kudo´s brat. They hadn´t met the boy yet, but with parents like that, the detective was worried how the child would end up.

"Good morning. We are looking for a small boy, the age of seven, with blue eyes and dark hair." Kogoro stated without missing a beat, looking as serious as he could. "He is traveling here without his parents, and we are supposed to pick him up, but the child isn´t here."

"Oh, a child with a neat hair and few strands that stick up at the front and back?" A young guard stated as she approached, smiling slightly as they nodded, even though they weren´t sure about his hair. "I saw him, he was heading towards the trains… Are you sure it's him? When I asked, he said he wasn´t lost, and he appeared to know where he was going. I noticed he had a paper with an address in his hands."

"The one in the red sweater? He sat there for a while." This time the other guard contributed, frowning slightly. "He just sat there, looking confused, and then stood up and left without looking back. Maybe he thought no one was coming and decided to take matter in his own hands."

"I see…" Eri mumbled, already planning how to hide Yukiko´s dead body. "Thank you, we better hurry up… The boy never was in Japan, and I cannot help but worry. Thank you. Honey, let´s hurry."

* * *

Shinichi was confused. He was supposed to be at Beika, but as he looked at the name of the train station, he shivered. This was not Beika; it was Ekoda, and he couldn´t understand how he arrived there. Ekoda was close to Beika, but there wasn´t a train connecting both. Running to the map, he tried to understand what he did wrong; noticing for the first time that he had been supposed to change trains a second time.

Ignoring the sudden need to curse, Shinichi just wanted to cry. Just his luck, obviously he needed to get lost somehow. What good would the address do him, if he wasn´t even in the right city. As his stomach demanded some food, the little boy hurried to a convenience store, counting the money he had left as he paid for his food. There was hard enough to take one train, so no, he couldn´t go back and take the right one this time.

Entering a park, the boy almost collapsed on the bench, slowly nibbling his sandwich. What was he supposed to do now? He was lost in a strange city, in a strange country. He could talk, but he couldn´t read to save his life. He was slightly apprehensive to ask adults, and he wasn´t even sure where the police station was. Shinichi was completely alone.

The knowledge hit him like a bullet, and before he had the chance to process it, tears started to fall down his blue eyes. He was all alone and no one could help him. His parents were who knows where. They had ditched him, not caring enough to make sure someone would pick him up. They left him and now he was lost.

"Are you alright?" Looking up confused and surprised, blue eyes met a red flower. Blinking, Shinichi reflexively took it, staring at the boy who gave it confused. He was almost his twin, but had an extremely messy hair and eyes that appeared to be indigo. "Why are you crying?"

Too sad to care about the fact he was caught crying, or the fact he apparently met his twin, Shinichi rubbed his eyes trying to get rid of the tears. "I am lost." The confession was made in a whisper, but the other boy seemed to understand. "I don´t have enough money to catch the right train and I-I d-don´t know what to do…"

A hand made its way to his back, and before he knew it, Shinichi had been pulled into a hug. It was strange at first, but soon he relaxed, hugging the strange boy back. "It´s alright." The strange boy said. "I can help you, we can ask my dad, or go to the police. It´ll be all right. No need to cry."

Nodding, Shinichi ended his lunch quickly, trying to hide his puffy eyes. "Thank you…" The stranger only smiled, jumping to his feet. "My name is Kudo Shinichi… can you really help me?"

"Nice to meet you, Shinichi. I´m Kuroba Kaito." And once again, he was holding a red rose, which ended on Shinichi´s lap. "I live around here and I know the city like the palm of my hand. Where were you going? Where are your parents? You don´t look like you got separated from them."

"I… I came here alone… My parents are traveling, so I am spending some time with Hakase." The boy named Kaito was strange, but at least he seemed nice. There was also the fact he seemed to be into magic. Shinichi preferred detective work, but magic was also interesting. "I am supposed to go to this address, but I read wrong the train map and ended here…"

"Doctor? Does he have a name?" Taking the paper he had been given, Kaito grinned. "No need to worry, I know this place. It´s not too far from here, about thirty minutes walking. We could take the bus, but then we would have to wait for it, and walking is better. My dad says I need walks every day to burn extra energy, or else I´ll drive my mom crazy. Anyway, what is Doctor´s name?"

"Hakase." Shinichi answer promptly, smiling slightly. This boy seemed rather interesting, who knows, maybe they could be friends? He wanted friends so badly…

"Yes, I understood he is a doctor, I am asking his name?" Seeing the confusing look, he wondered for a moment if maybe his new blue-eyed friend was mentally challenged, before noticing something. They boy spook with a slight accent, and the information was all written in English. "_Hakase means doctor._" Kaito explained in English. "You are not from Japan?"

"_Oh… that explains why my dad always laughs when I call him Uncle Hakase…_" Shinichi mumbled, shaking his head. Great, he didn´t even know the name of the person who was taking care of him for two weeks. "I am Japanese, but I live in America… Would you mind taking me there?"

"Your father is funny." Kaito stated with a grin, as he took his new friends hand, ignoring his protests. "I have a feeling we are going to get along pretty well. Now, how about a slight tour around the city as we walk by? As I was saying, my dad…"

Unable to fight back, Shinichi just went with the flow, smiling at Kaito from time to time as they walked through the town hand in hand. At least, he was no longer alone.

* * *

Eri was going crazy when she received a call from Agase stating Shinichi had arrived. Apparently, Yukiko forgot to tell her son someone was going to get him, and the boy thought he was meant to reach Agase´s place by himself, so he had left.

As she laid down next to her husband, too tired to even think about making dinner, she promised herself that she would have a long talk with Yukiko and Yusaku. "I swear, when I get my hands on her, she´ll regret it…"

* * *

A/N: So, what did you think? Please review!

Kissed, Kaggami-chan


	2. Chapter 2

**Declaimer: I don´t own Detective Conan.**

**A/N: Some people have asked for me to continue this story... and since I liked it a lot, I decided to continue it. The chapters will be mostly small, and updates slightly irregular... Well, enjoy :)**

* * *

Hiroshi Agasa was a peculiar man, little Shinichi found out just by being in his presence for single day. He had suspected, obviously, after all the man was friends with his parents, but he had expected his parents to leave him with someone a little more kid friendlier…

Not that Agasa-san wasn´t nice and tried his best to make sure Shinichi felt at ease. No, no, no. At that aspect, everything was going great. The man was one of the most kindhearted person the little boy had met in his seven years on the earth. The only problem, however, was that man´s hobbies.

Shinichi had arrived at Agasa-san´s, with Kaito´s help, a little after lunch. The neighborhood seemed nice, he had spotted a small park nearby he knew he would probably never visit; and the houses looked like they belong to people with some money. Doctor´s house, however, was different from others, slightly more modern, especially compared to the mansion just next door.

Kaito, even though he wanted to stay and even pouted as he made his way back, had to hurry home, since he had to go with his parents after lunch to zoo. A part of Shinichi envied the boy, he had never done something as normal as visit a zoo with his parents, no, their idea of fun usually involved running away from editors. However, he knew there was no point of such thoughts, his parents would never change, and they loved him in their own way, even if it was a strange one.

Shaking his head to get rid of stupid thoughts, the little boy with blue eyes faced on his current situation bravely, approaching the house with only a slight apprehension. Before he reached the doorbell, he had been forced to remind himself few times that Hakase was one of his parents friends, that the stranger whose name he didn´t even know was not a bad person. At all.

Obviously, as he was ushered in the house with a big smile and given a healthy, warm lunch along with a nice juice, his worries had been unfounded, the man truly was as nice as his parents had promised him. The man even found some amusement in the fact Shinichi didn´t know his name, assuring he could continue calling him Hakase, and no, there was no need for honorifics.

For the first time since he landed in Japan, Shinichi felt like he could finally relax, sitting comfortably in an armchair as Hakase went to get something he wanted to show him. A part of the little boy wondered where he was going to sleep, the older man hadn´t showed him the house yet, but since it was only for few days, he wouldn´t mind if he had to sleep on the sofa. Even if he was already seven, he was short for his age, something that secretly irritated him to no end.

As the boy finished his mental ramblings, Hakase returned, carrying some short of machine in his hand. It was big, rectangular with many different buttons and a small door that seemed to open on the side. The man, even though he was already in his forties, still had a black hair that showed no signs of silver, his round glasses softening the slightly intimidating look his thick eyebrows and mustache gave him. It was with a nice smile that Hakase started preparing something, glancing at the small boy from time to time.

Blinking, Shinichi said nothing, trying to understand what was happening. Clarissa had said that Hakase was an inventor, and he had noticed the different tools and small gadgets all over the house. As he wondered if the man would be showing one of his inventions, Hakase grinned, starting to explain what it was and how it worked.

An explanation, failed attempt to start the machine and an explosion later, Shinichi was lying on the floor slightly covered in black powder, wondering how an automatic ice-making machine could explode with such ease. Especially since all Hakase did was turn it on.

"This was not supposed to happen…" Hakase mumbled as he approached the machine with a frown. "Sorry about this, Shinichi-kun. It happens sometimes, but I was certain it would work this time…"

The boy almost fell down again at the news that it wasn´t the first time, and for a moment, he wondered how the house was still standing, if explosions were not unexpected. As the older man admitted that most of his inventions didn´t work on first try, he blinked once more, nodding politely while his eyes searched for more invention, suddenly apprehensive.

While Shinichi wasn´t a curious person, at least not enough to touch things that weren´t his, the knowledge the whole house was a ticking bomb waiting to explode at any moment did not escape his attention.

"What about those inventions that are laying in the kitchen? Do they work or are they just a prototype?" Well, Shinichi WAS curious enough to ask, thank you very much.

"Yes, yes, I guess you shouldn´t touch them…" Scratching his head, Hakase looked around his living room, sighing loudly. "I think I should have moved my invention to another room while you are here… Listen, Shinichi-kun, don´t touch anything, alright? I will short out everything tonight…"

Nodding again, Shinichi once again sat in the armchair, wondering why, for once, his parents just couldn´t have a normal friend…


	3. Chapter 3

**Desclaimer: I don´t own Detective Conan**

**A/N: And so we continue :)**

* * *

Kaito did not want to leave his new friend behind.

Kudo Shinichi, as the little magician in training had found out, was a rather interesting person.

Kaito had no issues admitting that he was much smarter than most kids his age. To be honest, sometimes he found it was annoying when people couldn´t follow his thoughts when he spoke them out loud. Shinichi, on other hand, had no apparent problem, easily following his line of though and even adding a new dimension.

It was with a heavy heart, and a big pout, that he left his new friend behind, making sure to memorize the address to visit him the next day.

The trip to zoo with his parents was important, dad was busy with job more than ever, the time he had to hang out with Kaito was almost none existent. Before they could play together, dad taught him magic… now, for some reason, dad was always out, working, working, working…

Not that Kaito didn´t understand, he was not some stupid seven years old child, work was important for his father. He, just, kind of missed their time together… Kaito was, after all, still a child. It was in his complete right to miss his father. He, wondered, for a moment, how his new friends dealt with his parents.

Shinichi had told him a little about his parents, and from what the little magician had heard, they didn´t seem good parents. Even if he managed somehow to ignore the fact his friend had been left in Japan all alone, not even knowing personally the person whom would be taking care of him; there were other issues that peeved the tinny magician. It was obvious, by way he talked about them, that Shin-chan was extremely lonely, and in Kaito´s book, that was something unforgivable. A child should never feel lonely, no, no, no!

Sighing, Kaito stopped as he reached the park where he met Shinichi, staring at the bench where he had found the boy. He was such a nice, interesting person… how could his parents just leave him behind?

A pout made it towards Kaito´s face before he even noticed, anger starting to grow in his heart. If it was him, he would have thrown a huge tantrum to be certain his parents knew his feelings, it spoke volumes about Shinichi´s life if he accepted it with nothing but a glance…

That´s right! While Shinichi was in Japan, Kaito would play with him all the time! Show his favorite places, bring him to the zoo and the park, make sure his friend didn´t feel lonely anymore! And when the time came for Shinichi to go back, the little magician would find a way to keep Shinichi with him! After all, he was nice, smart and actually listened to everything Kaito said! What were the odds of finding another like him? No, Kaito would need to keep him close!

Thinking about zoo, wasn´t he supposed to be going somewhere?

"The visit!" Young boy screamed as his feet picked up the pace again, aware he was going to be late. Hopefully mom wouldn't scold him too badly…

* * *

"Where were you, Kuroba Kaito?!"

As Kaito silently rushed in the kitchen, his mom´s loud voice was the first thing that greeted him. Pausing with a slightly flinch, the young child turned around carefully, smiling apologizing at his angry mother.

"Hi mom…"

"Don´t you hi me, young man!" Putting down her apron, Chikage shook her head, ignoring the smirk her husband was certainly stopping behind her. "What did you promise me when you went to the park this morning?"

"That I would be back by lunch…" Kaito mumbled, not looking into his mother´s eyes. He should have known she would be angry at him… "But mom, I…"

"No buts!" Chikage took a deep breathe, leaning forward, her violet eyes flashing with annoyance as her brown long hair fell forward, covering her view of her only child. "I should cut my hair… Anyway, once we are back from the zoo, you are so grounded young man."

"But mum, I was…"

"Now, now, Chikage, there is no need to ground Kaito." Toichi suddenly interrupted, hugging his wife from behind as he grinned. "After all, he was just a little bit late, I´m sure he didn´t do it on purpose."

"You are being too lax again, Toichi." Chikage complained, sighing loudly. "This is the third time he is late this week because he wasn´t paying attention. Should we really ignore this behavior? No, Kaito is grounded for three days."

"But mom, I didn´t do it on purpose!" The little boy interrupted before his dad agreed, worried his plans of hanging out with Shinichi would be interrupted. "There was this lost boy, he was all alone and crying, and dad always said that we should help people, so I went to ask him what was wrong, and he said he was lost and that it was his first time in Japan, so I asked where he wanted to go, and since it was Beika and I didn´t want him to cry, he was nice to me and all, I walked him there..."

"Calm down, little man." Toichi interrupted as Kaito talked without stop, not even pausing to breathe, so fast he hadn´t even caught most of what he said. The magician did, however, catch the key words, and a part of him was starting to worry the child had run away or been abandoned. "Now, can you explain everything from the start, but without rushing so much?"

Blushing, Kaito nodded, feeling a little bit silly. This wasn't the first time he had been told to speak slower.

"Well, when I was at the park, I noticed a boy about my age sitting all alone and crying." Maybe if he explained everything right, he wouldn´t be grounded after all. "As I asked him what was wrong, he told me that he was lost and did not have money to catch the right train. So I offered to help, maybe call you dad or take him to the police."

"He then explained that he came alone since his parents are traveling and showed me the address. He was supposed to go to Beika. Since it was near, I took him there, thinking it would be faster than taking a train. We talked on the way there, he lives in America, this is his first time in Japan and he almost can´t read Japanese at all. He was really scared and I didn´t want to leave him alone, even when we reached Hakase´s house, but I had to go back and…"

"This is his first time in Japan?" Toichi asked with his eyebrows raised, the situation seeming darker with each moment. So the child had been abandoned, probably given to some barely related person to be taken are off. "And he came here all alone from America?"

"No, his dad´s employee, secretary I think, he never told me her profession, came with him on the plane, but had to leave right away to catch her connecting plane." Dad seemed really worried… maybe Kaito should have brought Shinichi with him home after all… "Should I have taken him here or to the police. Shin-chan said it wasn´t the first time his parents left him alone, even if it was the first time no one came to pick him up."

"Shin-chan?" Chikage asked suddenly, stepping forward to get a good look at her child. "You said he was about your age and he wanted to go to Hakase´s house." It couldn´t be, could it? "Did this boy look slightly like you? You know his full name?"

Confused, Kaito nodded, trying to remember if he had described Shinichi to his parents earlier. Hm, no, he hadn´t, so how did his mom know they looked similar?

"Shin-chan has beautiful blue eyes, they sparkled so brightly! And his hair was much neater than mine, but with a cowlick sticking up from the back of his head." Why did his father´s eye open so widely in surprise? Why did mom pale all of sudden? Kaito didn´t understand, and it was annoying him. "He told me his name was Kudo Shinichi."

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A/N: Thank you for continuing reading. *bow*

InsanityOwl: Now that is a great idea, no?

1412Kaishin4869: Really? (=^ェ^=) I´m so happy. Those two together are so cute, aren´t they? Double cuteness... Soon, my friend, soon...

Kensy Echo: Thanks. I´m wondering what he´ll think when Toichi tell him he is his dad´s friend... Muahahaha

P.S. Starting from november, I am taking prompts requests. If you are interested, visit my profile. Thanks. :)


	4. Shinichi and the toaster

**Declaimer: I don´t own Detective Conan. **

**A/N: And this is why I should probably just write everything in the computer... but strangely enough, I even lose the documents I wrote on PC. By the way, this one deserves a title.**

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_**Shinichi and the toaster**_

It was the second day in Shinichi´s new temporary house, and he had to admit, it was rather refreshing. The place itself was rather cozy, the child thought as he stared at the ceiling completely unmoving. Since Hakase, as the man had insisted he call him, didn´t have a room ready for him, Shinichi had slept on the couch. Which was fine by him, actually, as the child had slept on worse places while travelling with his parents. Be it as it may be, a couch was ten times better than the airplane seat, if not for the fact it was long.

Having had a good night of sleep, with his mind and body ready for another day, the dark haired boy couldn´t help but feel happy. Despite everything strange that had occurred, Hakase was extremely nice, a pleasant person to be around. Not to mention that maybe, just maybe, Shinichi had finally found a friend of his own.

Ignoring the way his lips turned upwards, he couldn´t help but think of Kaito. Not only had the boy helped him, but he promised he would call later, to meet up again. As someone who had lived with his parents, forced to travel a lot on their whims, Shinichi had never found someone he could call a friend. The other children he met were usually either too arrogant, too stupid… or, in most cases, didn´t speak English. Therefore, he was extremely excited on becoming Kaito´s friend.

Standing up as he finally grew bored of just staring at the ceiling, the boy considered what to do next. Even though it was already nine, Hakase was still sleeping, probably tired from cleaning the house last night. Still, it didn´t change the fact Shinichi was hungry. As he headed towards the kitchen, planning on eating whatever there was, the child faced a problem: the fridge was empty.

Surprised, he just stared at the cold appliance in silence while blinking, as the fact slowly registered in his mind. Okay, no food in the fridge. Moving his blue eyes to the cupboards, he immediately began his search for anything eatable, dread slowly setting in. And, as he had expected, after ten minutes of searching, his findings were miserable.

"How can…? Only bread?" His voice was dyed in disbelief, as he stared frozenly as the mentioned product. In the whole kitchen, there was nothing else he could eat. He had considering searching the freezer too, but even if something was there, it would take too long to defrost. "I should have known… He is their friend after all."

The fact his mother, and father by extension, was hopeless as house work was a world known fact. The fact his parents actually forgot to buy food more often than not, however, was a secret only Shinichi, and his occasional care-taker, were part of.

"Well, at least it´s something." Noticing the toaster, the child nodded to himself. "Toast it is. At least it's better than plain bread. Since it is here, does it mean it is safe to use?"

Eyeing the silver object with sharp eyes, Shinichi considered his options. It did appear to be a normal toaster, with normal buttons. Nothing about it screamed dangerous, and as his stomach voiced its opinion, rather largely, the child completely forgot about his apprehension.

Inserting the bread, he pulled the button, running to get a plate. It would be great if there was butter, but at the moment, he was grateful at least something was eatable. Remembering where the plates were being kept, he pulled a chair after him, quickly grabbing it. Being short was slightly annoying, but since both his dad and mom were tall, he had high hopes for his future.

Smiling childishly as the aroma filled the small kitchen, Shinichi sighed slightly. By that point, his stupid stomach was protesting loudly, not that it would make it quicker. Still, he didn´t complain, patiently waiting for his food, as he through about what to do next.

Shinichi wanted to visit the house his parents had in Beika, as his dad had told him about the library. He also needed to choose a room, for when they visited Japan on holidays. Not to mention that he was curious, to see where his parents lived until he was one. Well, he had also lived there, but he was too small to actually remember it. Hopefully, it would be a cool house, perhaps he could even move in there once he was older.

A sudden burning scent caught his attention, and the child narrowed his eyes, staring at the toaster. The bread hadn´t been in there long enough to burn, and yet, the burning scent was clear as day. Grabbing the chair, he quickly climbed up, blue eyes widening at the picture.

The toaster, the silver toaster he though was an actual toaster… well, it might not be a toaster after all. Since, you know, it was completely red, like lava, with black numbers suddenly doing a count down. One thing he was certain; it was not a toaster!

Jumping down as the numbers quickly decreased towards zero, Shinichi ran for his dear life. To be honest, he was too young to die. He still hadn´t reached his goal of being a detective, he couldn´t die yet!

As he dove behind the sofa, an explosion occurred behind him, red pieces flying everywhere through the room. From the top, something fell in front of him, and the child flinched for a second, worried it was the non-toaster. For better, or worse, it was the bread he had hoped to eat, completely black like charcoal.

Carefully, Shinichi looked at the kitchen from his wonderful hiding spot, AKA, his current bed; flinching at the destruction. The non-toaster was a terrible thing; it had even destroyed the window.

Sliding down as he covered himself with the blanket, Shinichi tried to calm his racing heart. He had changed his mind. It was not refreshing at all, if anything, it was terrifying. For the first time, he regretted not going with his parents. No, wait, he did not… He regretted not asking his parents to leave him at some hotel, or even childcare. Because, honestly, staying at Hakase´s had the same heart stopping effect as traveling with his parents.

For a moment, the child actually wondered if he would make it alive until the end of the week.

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A/N: This probably with have at least 3 more. So... see you next year XD


	5. Chapter 5

**Declaimer: I don´t own Detective Conan**

**A/N: So many evil people around me... My cat included. Enjoy. Warning: fluffiness! **

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Playing with his new friend was the best feeling ever, Shinichi was a hundred percent certain! So far he had spent two wonderful days playing with Kaito, exploring the town of Beika, and it was simply amazing. To be honest, the young boy had never thought that simply running around could be something so fun. So far, they had discovered a few cool places to play at, helped at least three old ladies find their cats, not to mention the little treasures they had found lost in the grass and road. They were still trying to find the owner of a cute pink brooch, but so far their search had yielded nothing.

However, that day was going to be different, and Shinichi wasn´t sure he was ready for it. Not that it was something horrible, certainly normal people did it every time they met new friends... but Shinichi had never done it, and it was making him regret accepting. Standing awkwardly at their meeting place, pulling his clothes down to straighten them, the boy considered turning around and returning. He could say that he was sick or something...

"You can do it!" Mumbling to himself, blue eyes closed, as his small fist clenched together. After all, how hard could it be? He was simply going to meet Kaito´s parents. He had survived his own parents, certainly nothing could be worse than them! Not even Hakase was, with his exploding toasters and pens...

"Shinichi!" Opening his eyes at the loud call, the small boy smiled as his friend ran towards him with a huge grin, indigo eyes sparking with amusement. "Sorry for the wait."

"No, I didn´t want at all." Not that it was true, but it was a nice thing to say after all.

"Yes, yes, that´s what you say everyday." Grinning even more, the slightly taller boy stopped, allowing to catch his breathe. "Ready? My parents are looking forward to meeting you."

His smile failing just for a second, Shinichi nodded, trying to pretend to be excited. He had met many adults in his short life, and he had never felt so apprehensive. Honestly, it should be a walk in the park, meeting someone new. And yet, there he was, killing himself with anxiety.

"What´s wrong?" Immediately catching up to his friend´s mood, Kaito frowned, trying to remember if he had done something wrong. With everything they had done so far, even invading an abandoned building, Shinichi had never reacted so horribly. He could literally feel the anxiety, and it was making him feel horrible. To make Shin-chan feel that way... "We don´t have to go if you want. My parents won´t mind, you know?"

Blinking, Shinichi looked up in surprise, having not expected Kaito to understand. Sure, it was obvious his friend wasn´t sure why, but he understood that meeting his parents was making the smaller rather uncomfortable. By then, Shinichi´s mother certainly would have laughed and dragged him towards the house, while his father would simply make fun of him with a pair of cleverly chosen words. Not the greatest parents, as he reflected on it.

Shacking his head to get rid of his thoughts, Shinichi strengthened his resolve, taking his friends hand with a smile.

"No, it´s fine. Just that... well, I never had any friends before, so meting your parents is a little..." Not even finishing, Shinichi´s smile turned into something completely awkward. He hadn´t told Kaito before that he hadn´t had any friends, even if it was kind of in the subtext, since he had never talked about his friends. And as those words left his mouth, for a second, he feared Kaito would leave him since he was such an awkward child, such a strange fre...

However, such thoughts never finished, as Shinichi was suddenly pulled into a really tight hug, getting all embarrassed at the show of affection. While his mother always hugged him when presented with a chance, and his father didn´t mind hugging him either, he had never been hugged by someone else. Not to mention in the middle of a park, for everyone to see. To say it was embarrassing was a complete understatement. Shinichi wished to simply disappear.

"K-kaito!" Even though he tried to free himself from the sudden attack, Kaito simply hugged him tighter, not letting go of the smaller boy.

"It´s fine. It doesn´t matter." Startled, Shinichi froze, listening to the kind words. "I will be your best friend forever, and from now on, we´ll find enough friend to fill in that creepy house next to Hakase! Hundred, no, thousands! And then we´ll have many sleepovers, and you´ll meet more parents, and they all will tell you just how adorable you are! So, no worries!"

Surprised by the words, the small boy considered them for a second, before starting to laugh. He was unable to stop, holding into Kaito as his body shook from the force of each laugh. The whole scenario was simply hilarious! Thousand friends...

"K-kaito, h-how are we supposed to have sleepovers, if we have thousands friends? Even an apartment won´t be enough." For a moment, Shinichi couldn´t exactly remember when he laughed so hard, but suddenly, he found out that he didn´t care.

"Well, I didn´t think about that... Oh, I know! We´ll do a sleep party each week and invite them group by group! I don´t see why not, having sleepovers every week is cool. Have to convince my mom somehow."

Wiping his tears as the laughter died, Shinichi listened to Kaito rambling for a moment, before hugging his friend back. No longer he felt anxious nor worried, not why Kaito by his side.

"Thanks."

"You have nothing to thank me for!" Finally ending the hug as he skilfully ignored the looks sent their way, Kaito´s smile grew bigger. "I promise, we are going to be friends forever! Now, let´s go meet my parents. I have this amazing trick I want to try and I need you to distract my mom long enough to steal some pepper. After my last attempt at helping her cook, she threw me out of the kitchen."

"As long as it won´t end up with someone crying or murdering you. My dad is not here to solve it, and I certainly don´t want my first solo case to be the murder of my best friend."

Grinning, Kaito simply took his hand, running towards home. The small magician knew, their friendship would be simply amazing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Declaimer: I don´t own Detective Conan**

**A/N: I took some liberties with Chikage´s character and Yusaku´s past. Then again... Fluff! Muahahahaha**

**(Ignores the fact that last chapter was December. December... Have no idea what you are talking about)**

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The pair could hardly wait for the children to arrive. While certain little Shinichi would not remember them, the pair could still clearly recall the quiet blue eyed child from Kudo´s last visit.

Compared to Kaito, the little baby had behaved like an angel, not crying nor making a huge racket. Even when Toichi showed some magic, Shinichi had only smiled slightly, his big, bright eyes focused on the tricks.

A little detective in the making, Toichi had jested. However, perhaps he had been right, taking in account the stories Kaito told.

"When will they come?" Chikage asked from her spot on the sofa, eyes glued to the window. The meal was ready to be heated at any point either of the boys became hungry, and she had restocked on sweets, not sure if Shinichi liked chocolate as much as her boy.

"Love, calm down." Stated Toichi for the tenth time, reading a nature magazine as he looked for new ideas. "Boys are boys; they must be playing in the park."

"But Toichi…" The woman lamented, as she childishly threw herself at the sofa. "I am bored! They are ten minutes late!"

"Kaito never said they are coming immediately here; Shinichi was invited for lunch after all." Already used to her behavior, the magician simply smiled lovingly. "Remember to behave when he arrives, we do not want to spook him up accidentally."

Pouting, Chikage rolled around on the sofa, trying to look at her husband. "Please, I do not believe we can spook him. The poor boy has lived with Yukiko and Yusaku, its impossible to find someone crazier than those two."

They had tried to contact the Kudo´s for some days. Even though they were told that the pair had no internet connection, nor a phone, by Yusaku´s agent, Chikage was extremely suspicious. Russia was not some undeveloped monster of a country, as some politicians tried to sell, even in their villages the internet existed. For the Kudo´s not to have internet… she knew it was a lie.

"I still can´t believe Yukiko did this!" Huffing at no one, the short haired woman glared heatedly. "I thought they had more common sense than this. Shinichi is still such a small child, to leave him in Japan, only with Hakase… Oh, how I want to get my hands on her."

"And we will, they can´t run away forever." Kindly, as not to irritate further his lovely wife, Toichi tried to defuse the situation. "First, we need to see how Shinichi is holding up. Don´t show your anger in front of him, he might misunderstand."

Before Chikage had a chance to answer, they heard the chiming of the keys. Kaito had returned.

Almost a blur, Chikage moved quickly as she stood up, all traces of anger gone. After all, it would do not good to startle the child, would it?

The boys entered orderly, Kaito strangely enough not running for the first time in years. That little ball of energy just couldn´t keep still, visiting her in-laws has always been a struggle. And yet, there he was, walking like it was completely normal.

While Chikage wanted to ask him about it, there were more pressing matters that required her attention. Mainly the shy looking boy that followed almost reluctantly, big blue eyes gazing vacantly.

_Oh my!_ Yukiko´s child was adorable! Perhaps even more adorable than Kaito, that little devil had too much of Toichi in him after all. A small, blue eyes angel… Chikage wanted to keep him! Surely Yukiko wouldn´t mind, would she?

"Welcome!" The woman smiled with a kind smile, restraining herself. It would do no good to startle the child by hugging him all of sudden. "Such a lovely child. Is this your friend, Kaito?"

_Chikage. Control_. Ahhh, it was so hard…

As the little angle looked at her with an awkward smile, her own widened. Yup, she was keeping him. Screw Yukiko, she had left him alone in the first place after all.

Perhaps sensing her dark thoughts, Toichi skillfully restrained her while pretending to hug her, all that while keeping the kind smile and gentle eyes. Skillful… no wonder he was her husband.

"Oh, yea. This is Kudo Shinichi, also known as Shin-chan." And at that, the child looked ready to argue. "Shinichi, those are my parents, Kuroba Toichi and Chikage."

"Nice to meet you. I´m Kaito´s friend, he has been a really good friend." Apparently her child thought the same as her, as he immediately jumped on the defenseless child, hugging him tightly.

"Toichi, camera, camera!" Chikage whispered hurriedly, only for her beloved to wink at her. Obviously, he had already taken care of it. No wonder she loved it. Such a professional.

"Kaito!" Shinichi finally managed to escape, looking rather red and out of breath. Well, obviously, Kaito was a wild child after all. "What will your parents think…"

"It´s fine, it´s fine! Mom, we are going to my room to play!" Pulling the small blue eyed angle, Kaito hurried him up, while giving her a warning glare. Oh… perhaps she hadn´t been as subtle as she though… Still, she was not giving up! She was going to hug Shin-chan before the end of the day!

Despite the small protest, Shinichi had obviously lost the battle, as he obediently walked. Even though they had been together only for few days, it was obvious the Kudo child knew Kaito rather well.

The moment the children disappeared, a pair of pleading eyes faced Toichi, puppy face ready full force.

"No."

Blinking, Chikage watched in silence as he produced a camera in a puff of yellow smoke, going through the photos he had taken in secret. The man was somewhat loyal to Yusaku after all, being frenemies and all that.

"Yes, we can´t…"

"No."

"Yes."

"No." Damn, the man was persistent.

"Yes, and that´s final."

"No, Chikage. Did you see him? If you try to hug him, he´ll run away." She was going to keep hi… wait, what?

"I… that´s not what I wanted!" Wasn´t it obvious she wanted to make the child stay? Shinichi couldn´t continue living with his nomads of parents, they were ruining the child. The poor boy looked almost scared to meet them!

"It wasn´t, I see... Excellent, I have it on tape. Until he hugs you first, you cannot touch him. Let´s call Yusaku tonight and make the arrangement for Shinichi to stay, he seems like a good influence on Kaito."

She couldn´t hug Shinichi… "You…" Why exactly had she married a trickster in the first place? Ah, yes, he had stolen her heart… Dammed thief. "For this, you are sleeping on the couch tonight."

Toichi simply laughed as Chikage walked away angrily to prepare a snack for the children, looking at the photo. Kaito and Shinichi were hugging, the Kudo boy smiling slightly. Such a small child…

Yusaku and Yukiko never had what it took to be parents. He still remembered the say Shinichi was born, Yusaku was beyond himself with worry. His old friend was aware raising a child was harder than Yukiko would like to believe, and he wasn´t sure they would be enough.

"Toichi, I´ll try…" The man had promised, hands trembling. "I´ll try. I don´t know what a good parent is, and I probably won´t be as good with children as you are… but I´ll try, I swear."

Having grown up without a father, neglected by his mother, Yusaku knew there was something lacking. While he loved the child, from the moment he discovered Yukiko was pregnant, he feared he wouldn´t be enough. What a child needed and wanted, he had no idea.

"That´s why… Promise me. If I ever start failing as a father, if you see that Shinichi isn´t growing properly… Please raise him. I don´t want him to grow to hate his own parents as I did. Even if it means that I´ll become something like an uncle, please raise him properly. Promise me."

And Toichi had promised, the terrified look on his friend's face leaving no choice. He had never believed it to be necessary to act upon it, the few pictured they traded showed a healthy growing boy. A boy that loved his parents, smart and educated.

But obviously something was lacking, the magician understood it with a glance. Afraid of people, not sure how to act around others. What Shinichi lacked was not love, but a sense of trust. What child would travel alone in a country they did not know? Be afraid to speak out, to approach an adult?

However, it wasn't too late. Where Yusaku failed, where Toichi would fail… Kaito would surely succeed. Was it fate that their children would be friends too?

Grinning as he looked at the photo once again, Toichi hurried to the kitchen. The children would be alright, they had each other after all. At the moment, however, he needed to bribe his wife. He did not want to sleep on the couch after all.

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A/N: Did you enjoy it? It was the last chapter! Well... kind off. I still have to write the part that Eri yells at Yukiko, but that will take a while... *looks away into space* And because I am a big piece of ****, I shall answer reviews now (P.S. The word wasn´t that bad, swear!)

Disconsolate Mist: Love small Shin-chan and Kaito. Why have I never written about it before? Thanks :)

Anonymous: This chapter done (and few others for other stories, and I´ll do a full grammatical review. That said, I´m horrible, so I probably will miss a couple once again. XD Thanks for reading!

GreenDrkness: Fluffiness keeps me going... More FLUFFINESS!

InsanityOwl: NOOOO! Who will review now? *tries to revive the corpse* *creates a zombie* Well... here some cute Shin-chan

Caesar704: Thank you!

skurali: si senhora (srr portuguese here... XD) gracias!

Shioreinz: I´m sorry. *gives cookie and run away* *throws random Kai-chan fluffiness*

kellie1999: XD It´s late (like really late) but at least its here! *cries in a corner* I tired... I tried so hard *cries harder*


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